Son of a nutcracker, Elf holiday cereal has arrived

It’s almost October, a time when the displays of winter holiday candy and decor start inching closer and closer to eye level at big box stores, crowding out the shelves of Halloween displays like molars encroaching on a row of stubborn baby teeth. And it’s also a time when impatient revelers are already starting to queue up their favorite holiday movies, including the modern classic Elf starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, the overgrown not-quite-elf who ventures from the North Pole to New York City to find his real father. The film debuted in 2003, and we’re coming up on the end of 2020. But apparently General Mills has spent the last 1.7 decades deep in R&D, because the company has announced the release of a brand-new limited-edition Elf Cereal, in stores now.

© Photo: James Devaney/WireImage (Getty Images), Image: General Mills (Getty Images)
Left: Will Ferrell poses in front of a poster for the movie

The cereal consists of “sweetened corn puffs with holiday tree marshmallows,” and it’s sweetened with maple flavor because syrup is not only Buddy’s favorite flavor, but according to his character in the film, “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” 

The concept of “elf food” has been around for several years, much of it inspired by this very film (which, again, has been out for 17 years). The new cereal stays faithful to the notion that elves only eat sugar-laden treats all day long, and consequently, there’s no way that kids won’t love this stuff. So, y’know, go ahead and pick up a box if you like, in the name of pop culture.

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